Importing Car

Bringing your car to Malaysia :

Unfortunately this is going to be a hassle. It is perhaps the best idea to just put your car

into storage or in the care of a friend while you are in Malaysia. However if you really

have to bring your car the following will be helpful.

The imposition of very high import duties make owning a non Malaysian made car somewhat

expensive. Import duties run to as high as 300%. Consequently the vast majority of cars in

Malaysia are locally produced ones. Cost of maintenance and parts for foreign cars are also

factors to be considered. Needless to say if your car is rare or indeed not available in

Malaysia these factors become paramount.

Shipping charges, documentation and bureaucracy may also cause you problems, although hiring

a shipping agent will alleviate most of the stress involved, charges will of course be

imposed.

To import your car, you must apply for an Approval Permit from the Ministry of International

Trade and Industry (MITI).

In order to apply for this permit your car must be registered under your name for at least 3

years. The following documentation must then be presented and processed:

1. A letter of application addressed to the Ministry Of International Trade and Industry

(MITI) for the importing of a car from your home country to Malaysia for personal use.
2. A JK69 form must be purchased MITI and duly completed.
3. Documentation indicating proof of ownership. Typically this will be a purchase receipt

or transfer of ownership/letter from the previous owner if the car was purchased second-

hand.
4. The original and photocopied registration.
5. The cars original insurance documents and/or a letter from the insurance company.
6. Your work permit and letter of contract from your employer in Malaysia.
7. A photocopy of your passport.

All these documents must be presented to the officer in charge at the MITI offices, who will

also conduct a short interview. Processing of your application typically takes seven working

days, if all goes well you will be issued an Approval Permit allowing you to import your

car. The permit is valid for only 3 months, if you do not import your car by then, you will

have to go through the entire process all over again.

Upon the arrival of your car, you are required to collect it yourself from the port and then

you will need to apply for a permit from the Malaysian Road Transport Department or “Jabatan

Pengangkutan Jalan”, this entails more registration paperwork which of course will include

your proof of ownership and registration documents, a car inspection and the payment of the

import duties.

(Source: Royal Malaysian Custom – Import of Personal Vehicle)

Excise Duty For All Vehicles (%)

Sample Calculation

Calculation of customs duties on imported vehicles

** Purchase price of the vehicle can be taken into account in the calculation of the Customs

Value and this is only an estimation of the calculations of Customs Duties. However, Royal

Malaysian Customs has docket price of the particular vehicle to determine the calculation of

the exact Customs Value. The calculation of Customs Duties also depends on the original

registration date (birth date), engine capacity, date of import and model of the vehicle.